Indonesian journalist Irene Sarwindaningrum is interested in how Australia and Indonesia can deepen their relationship amid evolving geopolitical and technological challenges.
Irene Sarwindaningrum, a senior journalist with the Indonesian daily Kompas, is one of this year's recipients of the Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award. With nearly 19 years of experience in journalism, Ms Sarwindaningrum said she initially thought her application would not be selected.
"I only found out this year that I had been selected, so I was delighted to be heading to Australia," she said, noting that she had submitted her application for the award last year.
The reporter — who previously received the Adinegoro Journalism Award for her investigative reporting on counterfeit masks during the COVID-19 pandemic — currently works on the international desk. Her writing interests include geopolitics, Australia-Indonesia relations and critical technologies such as AI and social media.
Mary Powter from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was among those involved in assessing applications for the award. She said the selection process was highly competitive.
"It's a very competitive process and we receive a lot of applications from Indonesian and Australian journalists. I remember Irene's was very standout," said Ms Powter. "She's had a really great idea for stories that she wanted to cover in Australia."
How does Ms Sarwindaningrum see the differences between journalism in Australia and Indonesia? What are her impressions of the communities she has encountered during her time in Australia? And what does she hope to highlight from her visits to Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra?
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